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I feel uneducated on this topic. The Women’s March and this strike have gained so much support, and I’m a young woman who many would think support this kind of thing, so the fact that I don’t support it leaves me wondering if I’m missing key information that should leave me outraged.

What is it that this strike aims to achieve? If it is awareness for equality for women and men, then how does a strike help? I still can’t find any actual data that says that women are paid less for the same work as men. I’ve seen information that says that when you line up all men and their pay, and all women and their pay, men make more on average. But I don’t see anything stopping women from being riggers, heavy duty mechanics, physical labourers, etc. I made less money in university than my boyfriend at the time did. That’s because I chose to work at the mall, while he worked construction.It’s not unfair, it’s a choice I made. I would like to know specific industries that pay women less than men, based on the same qualifications/resumes. Not just, “The CEOs of major companies,” because that just tells me that you don’t know either, but you read it in a news report and are mad about it. If anyone has a link to this information, please link me to it in the comments.

If the argument is that women can’t focus on their career AND have a family because they are the ones who have to child-mind, cook, and clean, and then have no time for a career and that is an unfair pressure to put on women, that seems like an issue to be discussed within your marriage/partnership. If you are allowing your partner to do no cooking, cleaning, or child-minding and then complaining about how unfair it is to be a woman in this situation, I don’t totally see the problem. I complain that I don’t have abs and a bubble butt and say how ridiculous society’s standards are for women, but then turn around and consistently eat donuts and cheese and bread and fangirl over Victoria’s Secret Angels. If I actually wanted change, I’d make different choices. If your husband doesn’t cook and you’re mad about it, talk to him about it in a mature, respectful way. If your grandma tells you that you should be doing all the work ’cause that’s what she did, smile, hug her, and tell her times have changed since she had her first kid at 16. I don’t understand this particular point of outrage, and don’t mean to sound sarcastic or uncaring, but I don’t get it.

If the argument is that there is a societal pressure put on women to do it all with a smile on their face, that it’s not equality because women do so much thankless work, then I’d like to talk about the societal pressures put on men. I know men in their late twenties/early thirties who are depressed and have talked about suicide because they feel pressure to provide financially for their wives and families. Society has told them to buy a house, have a good car, and be the primary breadwinner, and when they can’t do it they feel like they’ve failed in life. But they don’t talk about it because society also tells men to be strong, to stop whining, that their mental health issues are less important than women’s. When I worked at Starbucks there were significantly more men coming through for coffee at 5am, blue and white collar, than women. They are tired too, they are expected to do it all too, and they are not given the option of complaining about it. And God forbid you are a middle-class white male right now with all your damn privilege. Best to just keep your thoughts to yourself, ’cause you can’t be depressed, angry, or have an opinion on political topics without being told it’s because your privileged.

I just don’t understand. What are women so enraged about? Trump says some stupid shit. He treats women poorly. Men have said atrocious things to me in the past too. But I don’t feel less than, I don’t feel my partner takes me for granted, and I don’t see evidence of inequality in the workplace in any tangible, widespread capacity. But rather than giving me hard facts about these topics, I’m going to be told I don’t understand because of my privilege. This has happened in the past. I don’t understand these particular political movements. What specifically, backed by data, are people upset about? Remove the emotions, remove the ‘I watched a clip on Facebook that said…” What is backed my research, what is actually happening in North America that is making women feel men are getting more than we are? The only thing I can think of that fits this bill is college rape and sentencing. And I think that’s a cause worth fighting for, but not by going on strike. We change that by raising good men.

If you have information for me that you can deliver in a respectful, informative manner, please post it in the comments.

The holidays are here, and if you are anything like me, that means you ate well in the last few weeks. Grandma’s baking, Christmas dinner, chocolates from your co-worker, dinner parties with friends, a few too many glasses of wine…the list goes on. And it’s not over yet. We still have a week of holiday time leading up to New Years!

And if I’ve seen you in the last few weeks, you’ve probably heard me say, “Tis the season to get rounder!” because I really do believe in gaining a few pounds at Christmas. Why deny yourself some of your favourites foods? Why be “that person” at the party saying, “Oh, no thank you,” when you actually want to eat that butter tart? Just eat the damn thing if you want it, and don’t feel an ounce of guilt. There are so many foods that are only made at Christmas, and that have a nostalgia factor, that you shouldn’t deny yourself of.

All of that being said, you probably wanna get back on the wagon soon. A few people have asked me what I’m going to do when work starts up again to get back in shape, and that is what I’m going to share with you in this post. (If you want to skip the explanations, and just see recipes I’m using or my daily health and wellness schedule, scroll down to the headings “What Do You Eat?” or “The Plan.”)

Additionally, I believe in setting yourself up for success. Don’t start a new health and wellness regime when you know you have a zillion events coming up and your will power is currently weak. Save yourself the stress and guilt and start up after the holidays. Enjoy the comfort food and don’t worry about it.

What I Do & Why
Typically, I follow the Tone It Up plan. They post a FREE weekly schedule on their website on Sunday nights, showing your workouts for each day of the week. The workout videos are free, and take about 30-45 mins. They do “Challenges” 4 times a year, where you sign up for free and commit to completing the workouts outlined for the specified amount of time, usually 6 or 8 weeks. They have a huge following on Instagram, and I find it a fantastic platform for encouragement and accountability. If you follow me on Instagram, you have seen my #TIU #TIUTeam posts. For me, posting to Instagram keeps me accountable and I enjoy making friends via TIU that way.

Because I loved their workouts so much, I became a paid member in February 2015 (one time payment of $150 USD), and have their Nutrition Plan, which outlines their philosophy for eating for weight loss and gives tons of recipes. Every time they do a “Challenge” they send out new recipes to paid members, and sometimes send a meal plan for the challenge. So, for example, for the “Challenge” that starts on January 3, 2016 I have a meal plan outlining what I should eat for the 8 week challenge. I am not going to follow it meal for meal, but it’s nice to have.

I love the TIU Instagram community, I love the workouts (almost all with just 5-10 pound weights, a kettle bell, or just body weight), I love the recipes, and I’ve seen results from it. So I keep doing it. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it works for me.

Disclaimer: This TIU (Tone It Up) Challenge starting January 3 seems to not have free workouts as the posted workouts. They’ve done “exclusive workouts” that you have to pay for. I am not going to pay for these workouts, but instead supplement them with free workouts on their website. If you want a breakdown of the free workouts I’m going to do every week during the challenge, message me and I’ll let you know.

“The Plan”
I like and need schedules and routines. So here is my Monday to Friday schedule and routine for January:

I won’t end up doing this every single day because life happens. But as a general outline, this is what I’ll follow. For me, I have to wake up in the morning and work out right away, or it won’t be done. I also have really bad hip pain and poor hip movement, and need to stetch/do yoga/ foam roll regularly to help that.

What Do You Eat?I eat 5 or 6 times a day: Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, tea and/or snack. I have a bad habit of eating after dinner and try to drink tea instead, but sometimes, especially when I’m working out every day, I’m starving and need to eat something. I try to stay between 1200-1500 calories a day, but am more concerned with making sure I’m eating whole, clean, nutrition-dense foods than I am about staying in my suggested calorie range. I don’t believe in sacrificing taste for being “healthy” so if you are eating bland food that you don’t like and saying, “Well, healthy foods don’t taste great,” you’re doing it wrong.

I also try to drink half of my weight in ounces in water every day. So if I weigh 135 lbs., I go 135 divided by 2 = 67.5, so I try to drink 67.5 ounces of water a day. In the morning I have water with lemon and mint.

I do follow the Tone It Up Nutrition Plan, but I don’t always use their recipes, especially for dinner. Below are some of my favourite recipes, all found on Pinterest unless otherwise specified, and taste-tested and approved by myself and my boyfriend. They aren’t overly difficult, and don’t require weird, hard to find, expensive ingredients.

They say that when it pours rain, it’s really the tears of crying angels falling down on us. On a rainy day like today I was drawn to this saying. Sometimes I look at the world around me and I feel like there is pain everywhere; that there are too many people suffering and sad. So today, I joined the angels in crying.
Today we cried for the 14 year old girl that doesn’t have the emotional energy to get out of bed anymore. Today we cried for the 36 year old mom who is terrified and heartbroken and doesn’t know what to do with her daughter’s depression. Today we cried for the 22 year old man, alone this holiday season, with no living relatives. Today we cried for the four year old boy with separation anxiety, screaming and crying and clinging to mom’s jacket with anxious little fingers. Today we cried for the family, approaching the holidays that will be, for the first time, split between two homes. Today the angels and I cried for the twenty-five-year-old man who is finally proud of who he is, only to find out he has a limited amount of time left on this earth. We cried for the twenty-five-year-old woman, slowly losing a close friend to cancer. Today we cried for the eight-year-old girl who’s starting to realize that when she phones her mom on a Saturday and she doesn’t answer, it’s because she’s hung over. We cried for the 13 year old boy who looks after his three younger siblings every day after school while his parents work night shifts. Today we cried for the 15-year-old-girl who has to explain to her teachers that her dad won’t be coming to parent-teacher interviews because he’s in jail. Today, the angels and I just cried.

“With your figure, you can’t wear that for Halloween. If you weren’t so pretty, and you had a different body type, you could get away with it. But because you’re gorgeous, this outfit is probably too tight.”

So I understand that I work in a system that doesn’t allow me to do anything that may be seen as sexual by anyone (because showing that an adult has any sort of sexuality is inappropriate for teenagers. It’s best we just teach them abstinence and shame them for any sexual exploration or acknowledgement *insert eye roll here*), but the above quote was NOT what I was expecting to hear when I showed a co-worker that I might be a sailor pin up for Halloween. I’ve worn the top and bottoms in this picture separately to work before, and if anyone ever had an issue with it, I’ve certainly never heard about it.

I am so frustrated with hiding my body because I’m fit, with some curves, and have a nice face. As many of you know, I have a history of depression, bulimia, self-harm, and self-image issues. HOW DARE SOMEONE shame me for being fully clothed, finally confident in tighter clothes, and for being pretty. Since when does “gorgeous”, as was said above, equal inappropriate? Since when does “gorgeous” mean different rules? If I were overweight with a different face, and not a “typically attractive” person, I could wear what I want?

I don’t agree with it, but I could understand if this outfit was deemed inappropriate for my workplace due to the tightness of the clothing. But for it to be said that it is inappropriate because of my body is absolutely ridiculous. I can’t help the way I look. I love working out and, damn it, I’m proud of my figure.

Also, what message is this sending the teenagers that I work with? Due to circumstances outside of your control, you must follow different rules than your peers. How ridiculous. Yes, all of your body parts are covered, but you have a killer figure, and you really need to wear baggy clothes, so that people don’t find you attractive. But, yes, Sally, you’re a bit bigger and your eyes are a little too wide apart, so you go ahead and wear whatever you want. Seriously?

Maybe I should be a scuba diver for Halloween and wear a wet suit and flippers…Or is the wet suit too tight?

I’ve had a quite a few questions about my meal prep and the food I eat during the week, so I thought I’d do a basic run down of how and what I meal prep.

Why meal prep?During the week, I am so busy between work, meetings, appointments, work outs, ‘me’ time, and ‘us’ time, that if I don’t have readily accessible foods in the fridge, I’ll most likely order take out, go through a drive thru, or make quick and easy meals like boiled perogies or pasta (mmm…carbs). In the morning as I’m heading out the door, I take about 3 minutes to take my supplements, make Keurig coffee, and throw a few tupperware containers with the day’s food in a reusable bag. Meal prepping on Sunday sets me up for an effortlessly healthy week.

If I plan all of my meals/snacks at the beginning of the week, I’m also less likely to deviate from the plan and make unhealthy food choices. I totally believe in balance, and I am quite indulgent at times, but a general plan of lean, clean, and green foods helps to keep me healthy and happy.

General Info:
I always start by planning every meal and snack for the week either in My Fitness Pal on my phone, or in a notebook. I have my week start on Monday and end on Sunday. If I am being stricter with my nutrition, I use My Fitness Pal to plan my meals based on calories, protein, carbs, fibre, and fat, and generally eat breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner. When I’m not working toward a specific goal and am just maintaining my weight, I plan my meals with the basic template of breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. *

When it comes to meal prep, the less I have to do, the better. So I plan foods and recipes that will make 4-6 servings for breakfasts and lunches, and recipes that make 4-6 servings for dinners (I cook for myself and my boyfriend for dinner, so a 4 serving dinner lasts us 2 days). When I look for recipes I look for meals that are high in lean protein, low in dairy and grains, and high in fruits and veggies. (Note: for personal dietary reasons, I’ve cut dairy almost entirely out of my regular diet, and that will be reflected in the recipes below).

I spend entirely too much time on Pinterest, so most of my recipes come from there. I do also use recipes from Tone It Up and Whole 30 quite often. Almost all of the recipes I use are really easy. If they’re more involved, I only plan to use them when I know I’ll have time to make them, and they’re usually do good that they’re worth the extra effort.

I usually make a grocery list and go grocery shopping on Sunday morning/early afternoon, and then spend 3-5 hours cooking and portioning food. It does take a long time, and it does require a lot of tupperware and dishwashing. But it is so worth it! Just throw your iTunes on shuffle, and bop around your kitchen while you cook up a storm! By the end of meal prep on Sundays, I usually have 5 containers of breakfast for the week, 5 containers of lunch for the week, one or two dinner recipes made and in tupperware, fruits and veggies washed and prepped for other dinners and snacks during the week, snacks portioned, and lemon cut up for waters during the week.

Breakfasts:
Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day. I love sweet, and I love savory, and I love a good breakfast to start my day off on the right foot. I plan breakfasts that are high in protein (breakfast typically follows a cardio and strength training workout for me), fruity, and filled with complex carbs.

Lunch
By lunch time, I’m usually definitely ready to eat something. I need my lunches to be satisfying, but light, and not require any heating up. I usually go for some type of salad, be it spinach, green leaf, chopped, or quinoa.

Dinner:
Dinner is always the most fun meal for me to make. Dinnertime seems to offer so many more choices than other meals. I like a variety of different lean meats and vegetarian dishes, but my boyfriend isn’t a huge fan of meals that don’t have chicken in them. We rarely eat red meat, and he doesn’t eat seafood, so chicken breast is out go-to. I look for recipes high in protein, high in veggies, and low/moderate in complex carbs, fruit, and dairy.

Snacks:
Snacks need to be high in protein, but low in calories for me. Mid-morning snacks, when I have them, are usually one serving of fruit.

Afternoon snack ideas:

Kind granola bars

Thirsty Buddha Coconut Water

peppers and hummus

Protein Smoothie (Vega Protein Powder, unsweetened almond milk, ice)

1/4 cup almonds & 1/4 raisins

Wasa crackers with mashed avocado, shrimp & chilli powder

Meal prep prep looks different for everyone, but this is how it works for me. Not all recipes I’ve tried have turned out, and not all recipes have been as delicious as I had hoped. But it’s fun to try new recipes and expand your cooking repertoire!

*I typically burn 200-300 calories during my morning work out when I’m using My Fitness Pal and being stricter with my routine, so I eat between 1400-1500 calories, and make sure I’m within 10 g of my protein, carbs, fibre, and fat daily goals. When I’m just maintaining, I don’t pay attention to any of those things, and just focus on eating lean, whole foods.

Since January 1st, I have rededicated myself to a healthy lifestyle. If you follow me on Instagram (@mykaleidoscopesoul), then you have most likely seen posts of the food that I’m eating, the workouts that I’m doing, and before & after progress pictures. I’ve lost about a pant size since January, and am currently the smallest I’ve ever been. Well, actually, I was this small once before, but quickly jumped back up. There are no clothes in my closet that are too small, waiting for me to fit into them again, and I’m planning a small shopping spree next week because I don’t have a lot of Spring and Summer clothes. Why? Because I’ve never liked Spring and Summer clothes before. If you have any bit of a stomach, you know the pain of wearing jeans and a t-shirt. You don’t do it, ‘cause there will absolutely be a stomach roll protruding under that shirt, so cardigans become your best Spring friend.

People keep asking what I’m doing to be fit and healthy, because I’ve lost quite a bit of weight in the last 3 years, and made a lot of progress in the last 3 months. And I will get to that in a minute. But before I get to that, I think it’s important to talk about my journey to getting here. Because it has not been as picture perfect as my Instagram account.

I have spoken before about how I felt round growing up. A lot of people tell me I wasn’t that round, but I remember boys telling me that I jiggled in all the wrong places, being called Shamu, being compared to the size of a submarine, and my PE teacher telling me I didn’t have the body type for gymnastics, so I didn’t have to take part in all of the activities of our gymnastics unit. Maybe he was trying to be helpful. But it was a way of excluding me because of my size, and that did not go unnoticed. I was a high-achieving, high-stress person, and I loved sweatshirts and jeans. You can be round inside those big sweatshirts, and nobody can see your rolls.

I was 13 the first time I threw up my food on purpose. I was at a friend’s birthday party, and everyone was having fun, boys were flirting with girls, and I felt huge. Prior to this, I had been thinking about binging and purging, and became very sick one night. Food poisoning or something. I remember both of my parents coming into the bathroom as I was throwing up in the middle of the night, asking if I was okay. And I remember saying I was okay, and being so confused about how relieved I was to be getting rid of those calories, and I didn’t even have to make myself do it.

Between January of Grade 8 and December of Grade 10, I binged and purged off and on. Never enough to actually lose weight and make it noticeable, but enough that I considered myself bulimic. While it was connected to my desire to be thin, it was also a way of gaining control for me. I was a busy kid. I was in every extra-curricular (except for sports, because I jiggled there and wasn’t that great at sports and girls are mean), and I placed a lot of pressure on myself academically. To this day I don’t know where my need to people-please comes from, as my parents were happy with us being happy, and never asked for more from us. But my world often felt out of control, and I often felt like I wasn’t doing enough, like I wasn’t good enough, and like the only thing missing from my life was a boyfriend. And, in my teenage mind, boys didn’t like fat girls. So I threw up my food, and it felt like an instant relief. It’s a weird feeling to describe; not many people understand. And thank God. Hopefully that means not many people feel compelled to hurt themselves to gain control.

In December of Grade 10 a friend of mine told me that if I didn’t tell someone and get help, she would. So I told my favourite teacher. And then I told my mom. And then I had to talk to the school counsellor. And then more of my friends knew. And I felt like I had people to hold me accountable, and who would support me when I needed it. And I stopped.

I started to work more on fitness and healthier eating. And that became an obsession. Missing a workout was not okay to me. It could be 10:00 at night, and I had to be up at 6am, and I’d still be doing homework, and I’d cry because I didn’t know if I could do my workout that night. Spontaneous pizza or McDonald’s runs caused anxiety. I wasn’t throwing up my food anymore, but I wasn’t in a healthier mind-set, either.

Then I’m not sure what happened. After high school I stayed relatively fit through dance and my new found love for running, but binging and purging came into my life again around the age of 20 or 21. I was in a destructive relationship, and I needed that feeling of self-control again.

2011 was a year of self-healing for me. No more boyfriend meant a time for me to rebuild myself. I started to work out and eat healthier foods, and I felt really good about myself. In November of 2011 I met my current boyfriend. He made me feel beautiful, smart, funny, and worth it. And he had a history of dating plus-sized women, which made me feel more comfortable and accepted. In March of 2012, I felt great about everything in my life. But I had gained some weight again, so I decided to start Weight Watchers. On Weight Watchers I lost 30 lbs., finally hitting “goal weight” in June 2013. I was about a size 6. Since then, I’ve been working on maintaining my weight through exercise and healthy foods, and have stayed within a one-size fluctuation. My self-image has changed drastically. And I’m not sure if that’s because I have lost weight, or if that’s because I grew up a bit, or a mixture of both. But even when I do have a bit of extra weight, I don’t obsess, I don’t cry, I just acknowledge it and either keep making unhealthy choices (hello, Christmas time), or acknowledge it and make a plan for a healthier future (hello, New Year’s time).

When I start to feel like fitness and healthy eating are becoming an obsession for me again, I stop, and force myself to eat pizza. That might sound stupid, but that’s what works for me. It’s unhealthy food, and it’s okay. I still need to remind myself of that sometimes.

I’ve met a lot of resistance with my healthy lifestyle. People get frustrated ‘cause I don’t want to eat a piece of their chocolate, or I choose a salad, or whatever. I’ve been scoffed at and asked, “Why do you need to exercise?” or “You look fine. Just eat whatever.” It’s a challenge that’s moved from comments about me being overweight, to comments about me being thinner. Let me tell you, body shaming happens no matter what you look like. So I’ve decided it’s best to just do you, and learn to bite your tongue.

So. There it is. Many people have asked me in the last few weeks about what I do to stay fit and healthy, and I’m going to answer that below, but it is SO important to know that it is not something that is easy. It is not something that I’ve always done. And it is not something that you need to do alone. Body image and health issues are so manipulated and it is so ingrained in us that we need to be beautiful, thin, and strong. I know that I often look that way. But we need to remember that someone’s Instagram or Facebook is only a construction of a very small part of them.

“How do you do it?!” Well…

Currently, I’m following Tone It Up. They post workouts every day that you can do with minimal equipment in your home (a few free weights and a kettlebell). I hate gyms. I feel like they’re judgey, and unnecessary, unless you’re lifting and training that way. Then they’re probably necessary. I wake up and am working out by 5:30 AM Monday to Friday, and do cardio and a bit of weight training (all from Tone It Up ‘cause it’s free and easy to do at home). It usually takes me about 30 to 45 minutes. I like waking up early to get that workout out of the way. Night time workouts do not work for me. But that’s just me.

I just started following the Tone It Up meal plan, but prior to the last 3 weeks, I had just been eating clean with recipes I found off of Pinterest. I meal plan the crap out of everything. I always have the next 2 weeks meal planned in a little notebook. That way, I know what I’m going to eat and there’s never a moment where I’m like, “Hmm…I’m hungry. What do I have at home?” Those moments = Tim Hortons, McDonalds, Starbucks, etc. for me. Grocery shopping is also much easier. I eat 5 or 6 times a day. Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack, and I track my calories on My Fitness Pal, an app on my phone. I suck at sticking to my suggested calorie intake. But my intentions are good haha

Sundays are spent grocery shopping and meal prepping. Sunday morning, our cupboard is filled with clean tupperware. Sunday night, our fridge is stocked with full tupperware. I make breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, and sometimes we cut up veggies, etc. for whatever I’m making for dinner that week. I have a juicer and make a few days worth of juice (which is usually my morning snack).

I drink so much water it’s ridiculous. Never in my life have I had to pee so often.

I haven’t cut out any sort of food (except for chocolate, and only because I wanted to see how long I could do it, not for any sort of health reason. Just a little challenge I set out for myself. I’ve already planned all the chocolate I will eat when I give this thing up) I eat pizza, Chinese food, go for dinner and don’t order salads, I eat cake and pie, and I love a good glass of wine. If anything, I’ve learned how much it is about balance and consistency, and being live-able. So many healthy eating plans aren’t realistic forever. I think what I’m doing is realistic with my current schedule and where I am in my life. As I get busier, things might change, but it’s not something that I can’t easily come back to, or that I’ll gain weight back from. I don’t beat myself up for indulging once a week (which is basically what it’s worked out to), or twice a week (which, honestly, happens sometimes). I just pick back up the next day and make sure I’m consistent.

I don’t weigh myself anymore. I know I’m roughly 135 lbs., but I’m focusing on what I look like, and how my clothes feel. I was at Winner’s this week, and know I’m about a size 4 in multiple brands. But the clothes that fit me in my closet range from XS to Large, so I try not to take that too seriously. There is still that vain part of me that likes that I’m in a 4, and no longer a 12, but I’m trying to shut her up, and stop caring about that.

It is hard. Very hard. I don’t always like 5:30 am work outs. And I don’t always get up for them. I don’t always want to eat what I’ve planned for myself (and if it’s a new recipe, and it totally sucks, we throw it out and order sushi. Life’s too short to eat bad food). I don’t always meal prep as much as I wanted to on a Sunday.

Start with baby steps. Just plan healthier breakfasts. Aim for 3 workouts in the week. Then once you establish that, try adding more water, or a new healthy dinner. Baby steps are key.

It’s hard. But it’s doable. You need will power, the mindset that a healthy life means being imperfect and allowing life to happen and mess up your plans for workouts and healthy food, a support system, and the ability to forgive yourself and be kind to yourself. I’ve learned, through a long and hard journey, to love myself no matter what I look like, and to be kind to myself. And I think it’s the most important thing in the world for everyone else to learn, too. ❤

Well. It’s here. The big 2-5. I know it’s not quite the big 3-0, but it’s still kind of a big deal. 25 is halfway to 50. It’s a quarter of a century. I’m old. People have been telling me all of these things that I am now too old for (crop tops and clubbing, for starters), but I’m simultaneously hearing, “You’re still so young!” And that got me thinking. While I do a damn convincing wine-sipping, blazer-and-heels-wearing yuppie impression, the 16 year-old teenybopper inside of me is constantly trying to make an appearance. At 24, it was still sort of acceptable and kind of cute and endearing to be 16 inside. But now? Tragic failure. Thus, I hereby vow to cease the following activities, effective the eve of my 25th birthday (maybe).

1. Keeping up with and using the newest slang terms. While my job is to work with teenagers and know what they are talking about, I do not need to use the words they are using. Ever. If anyone hears me say, “Your eyebrows are on fleek,” please feel free to remind me that words like that sound ridiculous coming out of my mouth, and I’m not a Drake-obsessed child.

2. Wearing inappropriate clothing at inappropriate times. Gone are the days of shopping in the Juniors section at Winners. What I used to deem “grown up, sophisticated going out clothes,” are now just ‘clothes.’ Goodbye, Forever 21. The witty graphic tee’s and weird patterns that once drew me in will now be best worn on someone who is actually 21. (Note: I reserve the right to wear whatever I want to dance class, and to wear crop tops when working out or at the beach. At least until I have children.)

3. Not listening to my body. Health is not something to take lightly, and it’s time I stop taking my health and my body for granted. When I think, “I should probably go to the doctor,” I will now go to the doctor. I will not wait two weeks until the symptoms are worse and interfering with my ability to live my daily life.

4. Not saving money. While retail therapy, Starbucks, mani-pedi’s, and Kate Spade stationary is wonderful, preparing for your future is a pretty good idea. Remember back in the day when your parents told you to put 10% of your paycheque into savings? Yeah, it’s time to start doing that now.

5. Getting messy drunk. I know my limit. I’ve known my limit for at least five years now. At 25, there’s nothing funny about needing to be taken care of by your friends, or falling asleep beside a bucket. I’m not going to say this will never happen again, but it will definitely be limited to a MAXIMUM of one time a year. (Sidebar: I haven’t been messy drunk like that since my 21st birthday. The time I rapped the entire song 99 Problems by Jay-Z to “impress” my now-boyfriend, then-romantic-interest (December 2012) is a close second.)

6. Not competing with other women. By now, I am old enough to understand that nobody is perfect, everyone has insecurities, you can’t do it all, other people are awesome, and I am awesome, too. This quote is so true: “A flower does not think about competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.” Why compare yourself to others? It doesn’t help you get any better. Talking trash about someone is trashy. Working on your own goals is motivating. I’m not the competitive type, and it’s time I acknowledge the wonderful qualities in even my worst enemies, rather than hating them for them.

7. Being uninformed. Not knowing what is going on in the world is not acceptable anymore. Especially given my career choice. While I love my little Langley bubble, knowing which countries are in crisis, being informed on current social justice issues, and making it a habit of more-than-occasionally flipping through a newspaper or The Huffington Post is important. I especially vow to cease being ignorant when it comes to Canadian politics. My right to vote should be treated like a privilege, and I intend to stop taking it for granted.

8. Settling. I know what I like, what I want, and what I’m worth. No more bad part-time jobs “just for now,” that turn into ruts, no more eating bad food to be polite/to tide me over, no more toxic, dead-end relationships (friends, family, romantic), just no more. There’s living within your means, and there’s settling. The knock-off Michael Kohrs bag, living within your means. Never gaining any headway at work because you’re a “behind the scenes kind of person” (aka too afraid to stand out), that’s settling.

9. Taking so many damn selfies. I can’t promise I’ll stop entirely. But I willtone it down.

10. Not wearing a jacket. Yes, my outfit is fantastic. No, I do not need to freeze to death to show it off. I’ll invest in a good winter jacket, rain jacket, and windbreaker.

Credit: Kim Windyka (www.thoughtcatalog.com) inspiring me to write this, by writing her own list that was scarily relatable for me.